Multisport Series heats up at Nagle Dam
Sunday 14th September 2008

It was a day of heat, chaos and general multisport madness at the third event in the Jeep Msinsi Multisport Series which took place at Nagle Dam on a scorching spring day last Sunday.
Andrew Birkett bagged his first win and deservingly so, despite early leader Dan Hugo suffering mechanical setbacks heading onto the mountain bike leg. Having displayed a hunger to win throughout the series and never far off the heals of favourite Hugo, Birkett was intent on making the most of Hugo’s delays. He hammered the testing 20km mountain bike leg, arriving back at transition with a healthy lead but never for once let up as he displayed perfect paddling over the final 5km on the water, leaping from his boat with practiced skill to cross the finish line triumphant in a time of one hour, forty minutes and 48 seconds. Just under three minutes behind, Trevor Hellens concluded a consistent race to finish second while Hugo fought his way back into third place. Respected road cyclist and mountain biker Matthew Goetsch was impressive in his first outing to individual multisport, dragging his surfski home to fourth place overall ahead of junior Lance Kime, who had also suffered his share of mechanicals but rounded a classy top five.
Robyn Kime was outstanding in winning the women’s race while placing seventh overall. Second women home was triathlete Helen Buley with veteran Nanette Cocksedge making a welcome return to multisport to finish third overall.
A few missed turns in the increasingly popular New Balance Multicross event upset the podium placings with the honours going to Darren Goddard and Karen Venter respectively. First team home was Thompson’s Diesel. Justin Hellens and Jenna Starr were winners of the Multisport Short Course event.
The final event in the series takes place at Albert Falls Dam on Sunday 5 October. For further information log onto www.maxcluer.com

RESULTS: Multisport Long Course, Men Overall: A Birkett 1h40.48, T Hellens 1h43.43, D Hugo 1h48.20, M Goetsch 1h49.43, L Kime 1h49.59. Women overall: R Kime 1h53.49, H Buley 2h07.07, N Cocksedge 2h20.31.
Multisport Short Course, Men: J Hellens 1h12.28, R Starr 1h14.23, C Stark 1h15.57. Women: J Starr 1h13.35, J Peek 1h23.32, J Dreyer 1h26.23.
Multicross Course, Men: D Goddard 1h34.40, S Jones 1h43.50, S Waibel. Women: 1. K Venter 2h08.16, L King 2h14.23.